4 000 words to Morgan Tsvangirai

My Turn with Tichaona Zindoga You see, we always get accused of being fixated on the person of Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the opposition MDC-T. Of course, we shouldn’t. After all, the guy is a loser. There are instances when you simply look the other way, usually occasioned by his propensity to pull blunders.

They call it putting a foot in the mouth.

Like he did on Africa Day.

He desecrated the legacy of one of Africa’s founding fathers, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

In the most incredulous terms, he told us that this patriarch was wrong to seek the liberation, the independence of this continent.

Dr Nkrumah “was very wrong”, pontificated Tsvangirai.

“He set the wrong vision.”

Africans should have sought jobs first.

Unbelievable!

But then this explains why the man chose not go and fight the liberation war and went straight to the mines of the white men to serve them tea.

That’s about all he could muster.

On the whole, however, there is a disturbing streak in Tsvangirai and his MDC.

They have never really liked African institutions and processes.

That is why Tsvangirai has been trying to undo our Independence and selling this country off to his masters in America and Britain.

That is why Tsvangirai and his gang had the temerity to deride Sadc and the African Union as “clubs of dic- tators”.

Sadly, Tsvangirai and his gang are just African rebels without a cause.

A letter former South African president Thabo Mbeki wrote to Tsvangirai one day in November 2008 always reminds one of the African embarrassment that Morgan is.

The letter, written after the MDC had sought to belittle regional efforts in the formation of the inclusive Government, is very instructive.

It reminds Morgan of the African he is; he should be.

Only Morgan does not seem to have heeded the advice.

Perhaps it has to do with the length of the letter.

The letter is 4 000 words.

We take this time to pick out a few gems of the letter, for Tsvangirai’s benefit.

Mbeki reminded Tsvangirai of his obligation as a leader and to have “the sense of patriotism… as African patriots”.

The region had suffered from Tsvangairai-invited sanctions-induced burden on Zimbabwe.

The region did not have to be insulted by the same villain in its noble efforts.

Said Mbeki: “You know that, among other things, various countries of our region host large numbers of economic migrants from Zimbabwe, who impose particular burdens on our countries.

“Loyal to the concept and practice of African solidarity, none of our countries and governments has spoken publicly of this burden, fearful that we might incite the xenophobia to which all of us are opposed.

“Nevertheless, the leaders of the people of Zimbabwe, including you, dear brother, need to bear in mind that the pain your country bears is a pain that is transferred to the masses of our people, who face their own challenges of poverty, unemployment and underdevelopment.

“This particular burden is not carried by the countries of Western Europe and North America, which have benefited especially from the migration of skilled and professional Zimbabweans to the north. In the end, when all is said and done, Zimbabwe will have to exist in peace and productive collaboration with its neighbours in Southern Africa and the rest of Africa.

“Realistically, Zimbabwe will never share the same neighbourhood with the countries of Western Europe and North America, and therefore secure its success on the basis of friendship with these, and contempt for the decisions of its immediate African neighbours.

“I say this humbly to advise that it does not help Zimbabwe, nor will it help you as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, that the MDC (T) contemptuously repudiates very serious decisions of our region, and therefore our continent, describing them as ‘a nullity’.

“It may be that, for whatever reason, you consider our region and continent as being of little consequence to the future of Zimbabwe, believing that others further away, in Western Europe and North America, are of greater importance.

“In this context I have been told that because leaders in our region did not agree with you on some matters that served on the agenda of the Sadc Extraordinary Summit meeting, you have denounced them publicly as ‘cowards’.

“Such manner of proceeding might earn you prominent media headlines. However, I assure you that it will do nothing to solve the problems of Zimbabwe. As you secure applause because of the insult against us that we are ‘cowards’, you will have to consider the reality that our peoples have accepted into their countries very large numbers of Zimbabwean brothers and sisters in a spirit of human solidarity, prepared to sustain the resultant obligations. None of our countries displayed characteristics of cowardice when they did this.

“All of us will find it strange and insulting that because we do not agree with you on a small matter, you choose to describe us in a manner that is most offensive in terms of African culture, and therefore offend our sense of dignity as Africans, across our borders.”

If the rest of the 4 000 words are too many for Tsvangirai to read, if he ever does, he can cut and paste these few on some prominent place in his bedroom.

He should daily remind himself of his obligation as an African first and being a wannabe leader at that.

Tsvangirai should be taking time to learn from visionaries like Dr Nkrumah who inspire a continent and its Diaspora.

He should learn from President Mugabe, too.

His idea of politics will not endear him to many Africans.

It is known of course that his African heart is in the West, where reposes his master.